Atlanta Braves MLB Draft Grades: Top of the Class

The Atlanta Braves selected a pair of left-handers to start their 2024 MLB draft on Sunday night, adding prep player Cam Caminiti with the 24th pick in the first round before selecting Vanderbilt flamethrower Carter Holton with the 62nd overall pick.

Caminiti, who attended Saguaro High School in Arizona, was the first high school pitcher selected. He was projected to be selected much earlier than he was, with Atlanta taking him nine spots behind their 15th overall pick on MLB.Com.

Here’s a look at the Braves’ flashy 17-year-old arm.

“Caminiti has the potential to have four legitimate pitches in the future, with projection on each of them,” MLB.Com wrote. “He already throws pretty hard, with a fastball that can reach 98 mph and has reached 93-95 mph this spring, and scouts think he has even more potential.

“He commands it well and misses a lot of at-bats with his ability to get up and carry in the zone, combined with a deception in his delivery.”

Caminiti, who was reclassified from the 2025 to 2024 class, stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 185 pounds. The LSU commit has a Grade 60 fastball with impressive low-speed chops, as his slider (55), changeup (55) and curveball (50) are all assets.

“He can show a distinct curveball and slider, though both can loosen up due to inconsistent finishing, and there’s a bit of division among scouts over which one is the better deal, but he’s answered a lot of concerns about his rotation feel this spring,” MLB.com writes.

“He hadn’t used his changeup much before this year, but it’s become a real sweet spot for him, giving him another offering that’s at least above average.”

Caminiti turns 18 on Aug. 8, making him a promising young prospect who could prove to be a steal at his position. His selection earned an A grade from CBS Sports.

“There were rumors earlier in the cycle that Caminiti would be a top-15 pick,” CBS Sports says. “He’s a pretty interesting lefty with speed and bloodlines (his cousin was the late Ken Caminiti, a former National League MVP). Some evaluators think he’ll need to get a gyro slider to have a true pitch out.”

“The Braves are strong in pitching development, so keep an eye on this one. For our money, this is a very good value at 24.”

Bleacher Report heaped even more praise on the Braves, giving Caminiti’s pick an A+ grade.

“Leaving the Braves with their high school pitching pick seems like a mistake those top 23 teams will regret,” Bleacher Report wrote. “Caminiti has been regularly paired with the Tigers (No. 11) and Giants (No. 13) and is widely regarded as the best high school pitcher in this class.”

Among those who appreciated Atlanta’s choice was The Sporting News, which gave Atlanta another A.

“There will likely be MLB teams kicking themselves when they see the Braves draft Caminiti,” The Sporting News wrote. “The best pitcher in the class, Caminiti has a 55 mph left-side fastball and a balanced repertoire that includes two plus pitches in the slider and changeup, and another solid pitch in his curveball.”

“For a high school kid, especially a 17-year-old, he has an advanced throwing sense and repeatable throwing ability.”

But as they’ve proven time and time again under general manager Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves have continued to stockpile weapons.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Holton is the No. 69 player in the class according to MLB.com and has a well-rounded skill set. Holton’s best performance is his slider (60), while his fastball (55), curveball (50) and changeup (50) are also solid.

Holton turns 22 on Sept. 4, and while MLB.com said some scouts question his viability as a long-term starter, there’s little doubt about his talent and competitiveness.

“Holton’s fastball runs 93-95 mph and tops out at 98 with arm-side run,” MLB.com writes. “He misses more bats with an 80-mph slider that features horizontal and vertical action and shuts down lefties. His 70-mph curveball was a solid offering in the past before regressing in 2023, and he also possesses an 80-mph changeup.”

The Braves’ selection of the Guyton, Georgia native earned a B+ grade from Bleacher Report.

“There’s nothing wrong with keeping a longtime SEC star in SEC country,” Bleacher Report wrote. “The Braves might be able to get a little more out of him than other organizations given their long history of developing arms.”

The second day of the draft begins at 2:00 p.m. Monday, when rounds 3-10 begin in Fort Worth, Texas. Here are Atlanta’s picks for the day…

Round 3: No. 99 overall

Round 4: 129th overall

Round 5: No. 161 in the general classification

Round 6: No. 191 in the general classification

Round 7: No. 221 in the general classification

Round 8: No. 251 in the general classification

Round 9: No. 281 in the general classification

Round 10: No. 311 in the general classification

The remaining rounds of the draft will be streamed live on MLB.Com.